Rail-anchor.



W. H, WINSWGRTH.

v am, ANCHOR,

PPLIGATIOH FILED JUNE 24, 1912.

narra eras DATEN vVVILILAIVI HOW'ARD WINSWORTH., 0F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE'COLUM- BUS RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

RAIL-ANCHOR.

LGOQTZS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May o, 11915;

Application filed June 24, 1912. Serial VNo. 705,636.

To all 'whom/'15 may concern lie it known that I, lVinLlAM H. Tins won'rn, a citizen of the United States, residing certain new and useful Improvement in Rail-Anchors, ot' which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such a's will enable others skilled in the art to which ii appertains to make and use the 'same This invention relates to rail' anchors such as are used in railway track structures for preventing longitudinal movement or creepage ot the rails.

One object ot my invention is to provide a device of the character described which comprises a rail-gripping member that is wedged tightly between the head and the base flange of the rail.

Another object is tov provide a rail anchor oit the character abovesreterred to which is so designed that it will etl'ectively prevent longitudinal movement or creepage of a rail 4without nicizing or otherwise mutilatmg the rail. And still another object is to provide an inexpensive rail anchor or anti-creeping device that can be applied and removed easily and which is so designed that slight variations in the cross-sectional dimensions ot a rail will not preven the device from gripping the rail tightly. y

Other objects and desirable features ot my invention will he hereinafter pointed out.

Figure l. ot the drawings is across sec tional view of a rail showing one ot my improved anchors arranged in operative position; Fig. L) is a side elevational view o' the rail and anchor; and Fig. 3 is a top plan view.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates an ordinary T-rail that rests upon a tie il. My improved rail `anchor consists ot' a tie-engaging member C' that extends transversely under the base flange ot the rail and bears against one side of the tie` and a rail-gripping member D wedged tightly between the head and the base vflange ol the rail and secured to the tie-engaging l'nember C 'in such a manner that it cannot move relatively to same and thus release the rail. lhe tie-engaging member C is provided at one end with a hook-shaped por tion l that. laps over one edge of the base tlange ot the rail and at its oppositeend with a portion 2 that4 projects upwardly at Youngstown, Ohio, have invented ay above the base flange of the rail, as shown in Fig. l. The rail-gripping member D consists of an approximately wedge-shaped device arranged vertically and provided at its upper and lower ends with oppositoly inclined or beveled surfaces 3 and i that bear against the under side of the head of the rail and against the top face of the base 'flange ot the rail, respectively, said member D being so proportioned that it does not bear against the web of the rail. The niember D is provided at its lower end with an integral laterally projecting portion 5 that tits in a horizontally disposed groove or guideway (i in the upwardly projecting portion on the tie-engaging member C, and in the embodiment ot' my invention herein shown the cooperating outer edge of the portion 5 and the inner wallof the guideway G are inclined or tapered longitudinally ot the rail, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 25, so that the laterally projecting portion 5 on the lower end oi the rail-gripping ineinher will act as a wer ge to draw both the members C and D into intimate engagement with die rail. I do not wish it to be understood, however, that my invention is limited to the exact construction herein shown for, it desired, other means such, for example, as a separate wedge, could be arranged between the cooperating portions 2 and 5 of the members IC and D for causing said members to grip the rail tightly.

To' arrange the anchor in position, the tieengaging member C .is lirst passed under the rail so that the hook-shaped portion lV on saine will engage one edge ot the base flange ot' the rail and the rail-gripping?member D is thereafter inserted between the head and base ange of the rail and moved longitudinally of the rail so as to cause the laterally projecting portion 5 on the lower end of same to enter the guideway 6 in the up- 'ardly projecting portion 2 on the member (1. As the member D is being driven longitudinally into operative position, the wedge-shaped'portion 5 on the lower end of saine causes said member to move inwardly toward the rail and thus become wedged tightly between the head and the base flange ot' the rail and also causes the member C to more transversely in the opposite direction, thereby forcing the hook-shaped portion l on the member C tightly against the opposite edge portion of the base tange ot' the rail. In order to eliminate the possibility of :the member-D working loose and thus releasing the.; .rail l have provided means for securely loching the member D in operative position. The means herein shown for accomplishing this consists of a lip 7 on the upwardly projecting portion 2 of the merliu ber C that is adapted to vbe lient downwardly over'the wide end of the wedge-shaped portion 'of the rail-gripping member D, as ,shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, after said member has been driven into operative position. To remove the anchor it is only necessary to bend up the lookin lip 7 and then drive the rail-gripping mem er D in the reverse ,direction out of engagement withthe rail and the prtion of the member C with which it coperates.

The members C and D can be cast, forged or pressed from sheet steel of suicient strength to withstand the strains which the y anchor is subjectedy towhen in service, and

as the device is composed of only two parts of simple design that do -not require any machining, the anchor can be manufactured 'at a very low cost. Such a rail anchor can be applied and removed easily, and as it has a relatively great area of gripping surface on the rail it will eii'ectively hold the rail and prevent it from creeping or moving longitudinally.

In addition to the desirable features above-mentioned, my improved anchor will not scar or nick the rail and thus weaken the rail, owing to the fact that the means which locks the tie-engaging member of the anchor to the'rail consists of a gripping member of relatively great area or bearing .surface that is wedged tightly between the under side of the head of the rail and the top face of the base flange or" the rail. Furthermore,

slight inequalities or variations in the cross sectional dimensions of a rail do not prevent my improved anchor from clamping the rail tightly because the tie-engaging member is constructed to receive the base flange of the rail freely, ano the means which binds said member: to the base flange of the rail consists of a member having two wedge-shaped portions one of which bears against the under side of the head and against the top face of the base flange of the rail without contacting with the vertical web of the rail, and the other cooperating with a tapered guideway in the tie-engaging member that lies in a higher horizontal plane than the base ange of 'the rail.

' When the anchor is formed from cast metal as herein shown, the rail-gripping member D is preferably provided with mar-- ginal ribs 8 so as to reinforce and strengthen the vertically disposed portion of same, and the tie-engaging member@ is also provided with reinforcing ribs or lflanges 9.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l j 1. A rail anchor comprising a tie-engaging member having a portion that laps over one edge of the base ange of the rail, a rail? n gripping member wedged between the head' and the base ange of the rail but notv touching the web and having a portion whichpro-` jects under an overlapping portionV on said tie-engaging member, means for causing said members to be drawn tightly into intimate engagement with the rail whensaid railgripping member is being moved into operative position, and means on one of said members for locking the rail-gripping member in position.

2. A rail anchor comprising a tie-engaging member extending transversely under the base' iange of the rail and providedat' one end with a. portion that laps over said base flange, an upwardl projecting portion 1 on the opposite end o said member provided with a gudeway that lies .in a higher 4 is adapted to be bent into suchia position, that said rail-gripping member cannot moveout of engagement with the rail.

3. A rail anchor comprising a tie-engaging member arranged transversely under the rail and provided at one end with a portion for engaging the base fiange of the rail and at its opposite end with a portion in which a horizontally disposed guideway is formed at a' base ange of the rail rests, a rail-gripping member having a substantially wedge# shaped portion that is wedged tightly be tween the head and the base flange of the rail, and a laterally projecting Wedge-sha ed portion on said rail-gripping member t at lies in said guideway.

4. A rail anchor comprising a tie-engaging member that is adapted to be arranged transversely undo..` `a rail, a hook-shaped portion onl one end of said member for engaging one edge of the base flange of the rail, an upwardly projecting portion on the opposite end of said member having a hori zontally disposed tapered guideway formed therein, a rail-gripping member having a wedge-shaped portion that fits between the Vhead and the base ange of the rail andan integral laterally projecting tapered portion that fits in said guideway, and a lip on said tie-engaging member that is adapted to be bent down over the end of the laterally projecting portion on said rail-gripping mem ber to retain it in operative position.

ias oint above the surface on which the- 5. A rail anchor comprising a tie-engaging member provided at one end with means for receivin one edge of the base ange of a rail, :i rai -gripping member arranged on the opposite side of the rail and having a portion that is wedged tightly between the under side of the head and the to faceof the base flange of the rail, interloe ting portions on said rail-gripping member and tie engaging member constructed in such a manner that both of said members will be drawn into intimate engagement with the rail when the rai1-gripping member is being driven into operative position, and a'n integral part on one of said members that is adapted to be bent into sueh av position that it prevents displacement of said rail-gripping member@ In testimony whereof I hereunto aix myy signature in the presencevo two Witnesses, this 11th day of June 1912.

WILLIAM HOWARE) WINSWOR'IH. fitnesses J. A. COOPER,

H. G. BYE. 

